On 22 August, 2012, the Mexican Secretariat of Economy publicly acknowledged the sudden and considerable rise in the price of fresh eggs, a staple food in the Mexican diet. The Secretariat also announced the ceasing of tariffs imposed on the import of eggs, seeking to stabilise the market, reduce the price of the product and ensure supply for the population.

However, the increasing price of such an important food product has generated commercial speculation and malpractice, which, in turn, have led to discontent and suspicion among consumers. Meanwhile, most authorities have limited their response to condemning the facts [es].

The professor and economist Arturo Damm Arnal [es] expressed his disapproval of the strategy launched by the Secretariat of Economy:

Any economics student that has studied ‘Economics I’ knows 1) what are prices, 2) what role they play, and 3) what is needed to make things work in the best possible way. This means that the student knows what the consequences are of government manipulation of prices. These consequences (far from being good intentions of the manipulator, which, we must not forget that all good intentions lead to hell) always end up backfiring. This seems to be lost on the Secretariat of Economy which often acts more like a Secretaruat of Anti-Economy. They forget (well, saying forget suggests that they once knew, which suggests they were doing more than assuming) what every student that has taken ‘Economics I’ knows: before phenomena of shortages or oversupply, government manipulation of prices stops the markets making their own adjustments to achieve an equilibrium.

@ArturoDammArnal: The fact that the government is authorising the importation of eggs shows how far off we are from having a free market. How shameful!

Moreover, the Head of Government for the Federal District, Marcelo Ebrard (@m_ebrard) [es], announced the distribution of eggs at a regular price in Tlalpan (south zone), the biggest territorial extension area of the 16 areas that comprise the Federal District. This was done to guarantee the supply of eggs to the capital.

However, this has been deemed to be a populist measure as interpreted [es] by some Mexicans:

@rojomon9: It has been two months since I have seen a Mexican newscast, I put on Lopez Doriga and the first thing I see is “this country has never lacked eggs” [“huevos” has a double meaning in Spanish; the sentence can also be read as “this country has never lacked courage”]

Regarding the news that this essential product was imported by the United States of America (once customs duty had been lifted), users like Anonymous Hispano (@anonopshispano) [es] asked the following question:

Twitter user Antonella Torrinco (@TonyTorrinco) [es] noted that the price of a kilo of eggs had almost reached the daily minimum wage, which in the Federal District is $62.33 Mexican pesos (approximately €3.66 or $4.75 US dollars):

@TonyTorrinco: Meanwhile in Mexico the price of a kilo of eggs is nearly at the same rate as the minimum wage

Finally, the Twitter user Juan Ciudadano (@ZapataMty) [es] took the opportunity to compare the increase in the price of eggs with the resolution about to be declared by the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Branch (TEPJF) about the validity of July's presidential elections, which were contested by one of the candidates that did not win the election.

@ZapataMty: The EGG and the TEPJF could cause “revolts” in Mexico [play on words, “huevos revueltos” meaning scrambled eggs]. In the coming pay attention to the price of eggs and the tribunal's decision.

Considering that 46.2% of the Mexican population lives in poverty and that around 12% of the economically active population earn the minimum wage [es], the sudden and excessive increase in price for such a widely consumed product is bad news for millions of Mexicans.

[…] Mexico: Egg Price Hike Causes Speculation · Global Voices The increasing price of eggs, a staple in Mexico, has caused speculation and malpractices, as well as discontent and suspicion among consumers. The price of … globalvoicesonline.org/…/mexico-egg-price-hike-causes-specu… […]

[…] Nearly four years ago, Global Voices reported about a disruption in Mexico's egg supply, which sent prices soaring. Back then, rising costs led to commercial speculation and malpractice, which in turn cultivated a vicious cycle of distrust with consumers. Mexico's avocado vendors will look to avoid similar bad blood now. […]

[…] Nearly four years ago, Global Voices reported about a disruption in Mexico's egg supply, which sent prices soaring. Back then, rising costs led to commercial speculation and malpractice, which in turn cultivated a vicious cycle of distrust with consumers. Mexico's avocado vendors will look to avoid similar bad blood now. […]

[…] Nearly four years ago, Global Voices reported about a disruption in Mexico’s egg supply, which sent prices soaring. Back then, rising costs led to commercial speculation and malpractice, which in turn cultivated a vicious cycle of distrust with consumers. Mexico’s avocado vendors will look to avoid similar bad blood now. […]